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What are symptoms of mild pericarditis?
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First. Yes I will continue to work with my doctor to track down what is causing my current symptoms. I just know many here have experience with heart issues.

Maybe a month ago I went to my doctor as I’d been having some off and on chest discomfort. It was always short lived (like a few seconds and no longer than a minute if that) it was from center of chest to left side. Occasionally it would be a brief sharp pain. Many times just an ache. No shortness of breath. No heart racing or anything. No issue breathing deeply. Doing all my workouts without issue. But the minute the ache extend into my left arm on one occasion I went to my doctor. She did an ekg. Nothing concerning. Just 1st degree av block which doesn’t sound unusual. She referred me to cardiologist. Another ekg and echo stress test. Nothing to worry about as far as cardiologist is concerned. So after that I did a big race with no issues but I still felt slightly off. Not during the rest just outside of that.

Since the race I took a week off of any training. I’d say I feel slightly better. One thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes when I’m lying down or just more slumped down on the couch I’ll have some slight feeling of shortness of breath. But it’s still pretty minor.

Is it possible this is just a mild case of pericarditis? Or are symptoms usually more noticeable. Is it something that the cardiologist could have missed on the echocardiogram if he wasn’t looking for it or if it was so mild? It’s just something that feels off but to everybody else I appear completely fine. But to me I just feel slightly off.
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Re: What are symptoms of mild pericarditis? [daustin] [ In reply to ]
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daustin wrote:
First. Yes I will continue to work with my doctor to track down what is causing my current symptoms. I just know many here have experience with heart issues.

Maybe a month ago I went to my doctor as I’d been having some off and on chest discomfort. It was always short lived (like a few seconds and no longer than a minute if that) it was from center of chest to left side. Occasionally it would be a brief sharp pain. Many times just an ache. No shortness of breath. No heart racing or anything. No issue breathing deeply. Doing all my workouts without issue. But the minute the ache extend into my left arm on one occasion I went to my doctor. She did an ekg. Nothing concerning. Just 1st degree av block which doesn’t sound unusual. She referred me to cardiologist. Another ekg and echo stress test. Nothing to worry about as far as cardiologist is concerned. So after that I did a big race with no issues but I still felt slightly off. Not during the rest just outside of that.

Since the race I took a week off of any training. I’d say I feel slightly better. One thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes when I’m lying down or just more slumped down on the couch I’ll have some slight feeling of shortness of breath. But it’s still pretty minor.

Is it possible this is just a mild case of pericarditis? Or are symptoms usually more noticeable. Is it something that the cardiologist could have missed on the echocardiogram if he wasn’t looking for it or if it was so mild? It’s just something that feels off but to everybody else I appear completely fine. But to me I just feel slightly off.

Short answer is yes, long answer is more difficult.
As you rightly point out, you will continue to work with your current doctor to further work up these symptoms. There is an inherent danger with providing medical advice on a forum such as ST, especially when it comes to cardiac issues.
The potential list of differentials here is quite long, from post viral symptoms through to more serious ischaemic heart disease issues, as well as things that are completely non cardiac.
It is pretty easy to see a pericardial effusion on echo which you would expect to see with a number of the causes of pericarditis. Your symptoms don't really fit with ongoing pericarditis given the intermittent nature of what you are experiencing. A stress echo will help identify any critical ischaemia but they don't actually visualise your vessels so you may find yourself going down the path of an angiogram to check that side of things.
My main advice, as always in these situations, is to be careful. Don't be afraid to have a dogged mindset about getting to the bottom of the potential cause if you are not feeling 100%. Don't do crazy things in training until you have been cleared.
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Re: What are symptoms of mild pericarditis? [Amnesia] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks. It’s of course a bit frustrating since the symptoms are vague and I’d say low even on the discomfort scale. But one of those things where it’s uncomfortable not knowing why something is happening. If it was a week and then went away I may dismiss it. And given my active lifestyle nothing stands out to the doctors yet.
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Re: What are symptoms of mild pericarditis? [daustin] [ In reply to ]
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Take it Covid has been ruled out?
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Re: What are symptoms of mild pericarditis? [jn46] [ In reply to ]
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jn46 wrote:
Take it Covid has been ruled out?

yep. Fully vaxxed and I was prepping for a long race so I was being extra cautious during time it started so Covid unlikely.

Symptoms have been so mild from the start and don’t know if it’s something that would be hard to spot on the echocardiogram with stress testing.
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Re: What are symptoms of mild pericarditis? [daustin] [ In reply to ]
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Heartburn?

All that swimming (horizontal position) and biking (increase abdominal pressure) can cause some acid reflux.
Laying down can also precipitate especially after eating

Often confused for cardiac pain.
Last edited by: Old lungs: Jun 15, 21 13:27
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Re: What are symptoms of mild pericarditis? [Old lungs] [ In reply to ]
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Old lungs wrote:
Heartburn?

All that swimming (horizontal position) and biking (increase abdominal pressure) can cause some acid reflux.
Laying down can also precipitate especially after eating

Often confused for cardiac pain.

Good guess but not likely. I’m on a proton pump inhibitor. Been on it for many years due to acid reflux and a history of eosinophilic esophagitis. And it just doesn’t feel like heartburn. Also haven’t been swimming. lol.
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